Electrostatic Pad Apparatus and Information Processing Apparatus

• US 20080266270A1
• Filed: 10/25/2007
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Toshikatsu
• Application Number:
  US11/924,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20080266270A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/169 the I/O peripheral being an integrated pointing device, e.g. trackball in the palm rest area, mini-joystick integrated between keyboard keys, touch pads or touch stripes G06F1/1643 takes precedence; constructional details of pointing devices G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0362 with detection of 1D translations or rotations of an operating part of the device, e.g. scroll wheels, sliders, knobs, rollers or belts
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/038 Control and interface arrangements therefor, e.g. drivers or device-embedded control circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/044 by capacitive means
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2025/048 having a separate central push, slide or tumbler button which is not integral with the operating part that surrounds it
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9622 using a plurality of detectors, e.g. keyboard
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/94073 with capacitive detection
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/96066 Thumbwheel, potentiometer, scrollbar or slider simulation by touch switch
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 2217/960755 Constructional details of capacitive touch and proximity switches

Abstract

According to one embodiment, an electrostatic pad apparatus comprising: a pad portion that includes a touch detecting area having a ringed shape, the touch detecting area being partitioned into a plurality of areas including a first area and a second area, the areas being arranged along a circumferential direction of the touch detecting area; and a controller that outputs a first command when a touch operation is input to the first area and outputs a second command when a touch operation is input to the second area.

Claims

1. An electrostatic pad apparatus comprising:

a pad portion that includes a touch detecting area having a ringed shape, the touch detecting area being partitioned into a plurality of areas including a first area and a second area, the areas being arranged along a circumferential direction of the touch detecting area; and

a controller that outputs a first command when a touch operation is input to the first area and outputs a second command when a touch operation is input to the second area.

2. The electrostatic pad apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the controller outputs the first command for scrolling an image data displayed on a display screen of a display apparatus in a vertical direction when the touch operation is input to the first area, and outputs the second command for scrolling the image data displayed on the display screen in a horizontal direction when the touch operation is input to the second area.

3. The electrostatic pad apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the first area is partitioned into a first and a second upper direction key area, and a first and a second lower direction key area;

wherein the controller outputs a command for instructing to move an operation target position on the display screen in an upper direction by a first speed when the touch operation is input to the first upper direction key area;

wherein the controller outputs a command for instructing to move the operation target position on the display screen in the upper direction by a second speed that is faster than the first speed when the touch operation is input to the second upper direction key area;

wherein the controller outputs a command for instructing to move the operation target position on the display screen in a lower direction by a third speed when the touch operation is input to the first lower direction key area; and

wherein the controller outputs a command for instructing to move the operation target position on the display screen in the lower direction by a fourth speed that is faster than the third speed when the touch operation is input to the second lower direction key area.

4. The electrostatic pad apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein the second area is partitioned into a first and a second left direction key area, and a first and a second right direction key area;

wherein the controller outputs a command for instructing to move the operation target position on the display screen in a left direction by a fifth speed when the touch operation is input to the first left direction key area;

wherein the controller outputs a command for instructing to move the operation target position on the display screen in the left direction by a sixth speed that is faster than the fifth speed when the touch operation is input to the second left direction key area;

wherein the controller inputs a command for instructing to move the operation target position on the display screen in a right direction by a seventh speed when the touch operation is input to the first right direction key area; and

wherein the controller inputs a command for instructing to move the operation target position on the display screen in the right direction by a eighth speed that is faster than a seventh speed when the touch operation is input to the second right direction key area.

5. The electrostatic pad apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising:

a push button switch portion that is provided at an inner area surrounded by the touch detecting area and includes an enter button and a plurality of direction buttons;

wherein a top face of the push button switch portion is set to be higher than a top face of the touch detecting area.

6. The electrostatic pad apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the pad portion is provided with a projected portion formed along an inner circumference of the touch detecting area.

7. The electrostatic pad apparatus according to claims 1 further comprising:

a first light emitting portion that is arranged adjacent to the first area and switched on or off in response to the touch operation on the first area; and

a second light emitting portion that is arranged adjacent to the second area and switched on and off in response to the touch operation on the second area.

8. An information processing apparatus comprising:

a casing;

an electrostatic pad apparatus that is supported by the casing and including a touch detecting area having a ringed shape, the touch detecting area being partitioned into a plurality of areas including a first area and a second area, the areas arranged along a circumferential direction of the touch detecting area; and

a controller that outputs a first signal for scrolling an image data displayed on a display screen in a vertical direction when a touch operation is input to the first area and outputs a second signal for scrolling the image data displayed on the display screen in a horizontal direction when the touch operation is input to the second area.

9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8,

wherein the first area is partitioned into a first and a second upper direction key area and a first and a second lower direction key area;

wherein the controller outputs a signal for moving an operation target position on the display screen in an upper direction by a first speed when the touch operation is input to the first upper direction key area;

wherein the controller outputs a signal for moving the operation target position on the display screen in the upper direction by a second speed that is faster than the first speed when the touch operation is input to the second upper direction key area;

wherein the controller outputs a signal for moving the operation target position on the display screen in a lower direction by a third speed when the touch operation is input to the first lower direction key area; and

wherein the controller outputs a signal for moving the operation target position on the display screen in the lower direction by a fourth speed that is faster than the third speed when the touch operation is input to the second lower direction key area.

10. The electrostatic pad apparatus according to claim 8 further comprising:

a push button switch portion that is provided at an inner area surrounded by the touch detecting area and includes an enter button and a plurality of direction buttons,

wherein a top face of the push button switch portion is set to be higher than a top face of the touch detecting area.